The present invention relates to an electric power conversion apparatus for converting electric power from the commercial power supply to converted electric power and to a manufacturing method for the apparatus.
Today, it is known that an electric power conversion apparatus such as an AC adapter can convert electric power from the commercial power supply and transmit the converted electric power to an electronic device such as cell phone, Personal Handy phone System (PHS) or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).
However, converting electric power from the commercial power supply causes a heat generation. In order to radiate the heat generated by an electric power conversion apparatus etc., a heat sink is used for broadening a radiation area which radiates the heat outside, as known in the art (See Patent Document 1, for example).    Patent Document 1: Japan Laid Open Patent 1996-182324
However, when using such a heat sink of the prior art, it would be necessary to enlarge the heat sink in accordance with the increasing amount of heat generated by the electric power conversion. This leads to a problem that the size of the electric power conversion apparatus is too large.
The present invention attempts to solve the problem of the prior art. The object of the present invention is to provide a new electric power conversion apparatus and a manufacturing method for the apparatus. According to the invention, by forming a simple heat-absorbing structure using heat of fusion, the apparatus can control, without enlarging the size of the apparatus, the temperature rise caused by the increasing amount of heat generated by the electric power conversion.
In order to solve the above problems, according to an aspect of the present invention, an electric power conversion apparatus comprises: an electric power conversion module for converting electric power from the commercial power supply to converted electric power; a filler container for accommodating said electric power conversion module; and a filler with which said filler container is filled, said filler having electric non-conductance and directly embracing said electric power conversion module; wherein the melting point of said filler is equal to or lower than a temperature of said electric power conversion module achieved by electric power conversion.
The apparatus may further comprises: a temperature detector for detecting temperature of said filler; a controller for reducing output of electric power from said electric power conversion module when temperature detected by said temperature detector is equal to or higher than the melting point of said filler and is also higher than the first temperature which is equal to or lower than the boiling point.
Said controller may further restart the output of electric power when the temperature detected by said temperature detector is equal to or lower than the second temperature which is equal to or lower than the melting point of said filler, under the condition that the output of electric power is reduced.
Said controller may change the second temperature in accordance with voltage of a secondary battery to which the converted electric power is supplied, when the temperature detected by said temperature detector is higher than the first temperature.
Said electric power conversion module may be provided with frames for securing a volume of said filler which reaches every circuit on the main surface of said electric power conversion module.
The converted electric power may be electric power for charging a secondary battery.
In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a manufacturing method for an electric power conversion apparatus comprises: a step for creating a filler container; a step for accommodating by the filler container an electric power conversion module for converting electric power from the commercial power supply to converted electric power; a step for filling the filler container, which accommodates the electric power conversion module, with a filler having electric non-conductance; and a step for sealing the filler container.